While our beloved readers from the United States celebrate their independence (have a good one, guys and girls), the European Parliament has just voted against ACTA with an absolutely overwhelming majority: 478 against ACTA, 39 in favour (and 165 abstentions). I'm raising a coffee to this one, kids.

I don't get it. If the commissioner can ignore parliament's decision, what purpose does the parliament serve?

He cannot ignore the decision, he still need a positive decision to enact it. However, he can indefinitely resubmit a directive for vote to the parliament. It usually never happen without a significant change to the directive. In this case, he consider that the parliament is misinformed, and that the parliament would change its opinion after the ruling from the European Court of Justice.